Commitment To Safety

At Chevron's El Segundo Refinery, the overall objective of zero safety and environmental incidents is a collaborative effort among all employees. To this end, programs are continuously introduced to maintain and create ever-improving safety records. Read the complete story, Developing Esprit de Corp Keeps Colleagues Safe, about the collaborative effort of one El Segundo Refinery team to meet Chairman Dave O'Reilly's challenge to determine how their unit could become "the global energy company most admired for its people, partnership and performance" and improve the safety of all employees.

On-Site Fire Department

The El Segundo Refinery has an on-site fire department staffed with trained and certified firefighters and emergency medical technicians. They train frequently on firefighting procedures specific to potential Refinery emergencies. Regular training sessions and drills are held in conjunction with local fire departments to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of these procedures.

Emergency Response Team

In addition to the Refinery fire department, there are several employees who are trained to respond to large-scale incidents, which might occur in the Refinery, in coordination with the fire department staff. These individuals come from all divisions of the Refinery, and not only understand the processes of their respective work areas but how to respond to emergencies.

Beach Cities Community Awareness & Emergency Response (CAER)

Industry, local government and service agencies have joined together to form CAER (Community Awareness and Emergency Response). Beach Cities CAER helps to coordinate emergency response for our community. Although the chance of a significant chemical release is small, the possible health effects could be serious. Therefore, it is important for you to know what to do. For additional information, please contact your local fire department or Beach Cities CAER organization at 310.784.7770.

Emergency Notification System

Beach Cities CAER, along with the cities of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach, sponsor a computerized telephone calling system, activated by the police and fire department, which will notify you of an emergency such as a chemical spill, sewer mishap or civil unrest. The system works by leaving a message for each household and business in the vicinity explaining the situation and what to do. When the emergency is over, an "all clear- emergency over" message will be sent. If you are on the phone at the time, the computer will try three times to deliver the message. If the phone is answered by an answering machine, the message begins to play immediately, just like when a person answers the call. You may receive a partial message, so you may need to call your local fire or police department for complete information.

If your telephone number is unlisted, you are not in the call-out database. You must provide your unlisted phone number to the El Segundo Fire Department if you want to receive emergency information from the calling system. All information provided will be kept confidential and will only be used for this system. View and print the emergency notification sign-up form and if you have any questions, please call Mr. Steve Tsumura, El Segundo Fire Department at 310.524.2242.

Shelter in Place

If you are outdoors and you smell a strong chemical odor, protect yourself by immediately going inside the nearest building, home or vehicle. Most chemical releases will last only a few minutes and staying inside should be adequate for your protection.

This is called Shelter in Place and is the best way to protect yourself and your family in the event of an accidental chemical release. This works because the outside air does not mix quickly with the air in these spaces when they are closed or sealed. Shelter in Place protects you from the most toxic vapors as the cloud passes. The Beach Cities CAER association has put together complete instructions on where to go and what to do in the event of a chemical emergency.

Safe Fueling and Gasoline Handling Guidelines

Gasoline should only be used as an engine or appliance fuel and when specifically recommended by an engine or appliance manufacturer. Never use gasoline to wash your hands, as a cleaning solvent, or barbecue starter. Learn more about Safe Fueling and Gasoline Handling Guidelines. You should report spills and/or accidental exposure to a service station attendant. For additional guidance on what to do, call the local Poison Control Center or Chevron Emergency Information Center
(24 hours) at 800.231.0623.

You may obtain a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) by calling 800.689.3998. The MSDS provides safety and first aid information in case of eye or skin contact, inhalation, or gasoline ingestion.

For more guidelines on proper handling of motor fuel, visit the American Petroleum Institute website at www.api.org or the Petroleum Equipment Institute at www.pei.org.